As part of efforts to reduce unemployment and improve the living conditions of women in mining communities in the Eastern Region, Newmont Ghana in collaboration with PYXERA Global a Non-governmental Organization has launched a Women Economic Resiliency Program (WERP) at Adausena in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region.
The maiden skills-based integrated business and community support initiative is expected to significantly reduce the burden and hardships of unemployed women in mining communities.
The two entities have also trained 25 beneficiary dressmakers within over 10 selected communities who have received medium-term training and business advisory support in order to improve their technical and operational capacities.
Speaking at the launch of the project and the commissioning of the skills development center, the Chief of Adausena Nana Dr. Boni Abanko (V) called on the youths in his enclave to remain focus and make a meaningful living from the skills acquired.
“In this era of advancement, we do not wait only on government for jobs to be created because is a thing of the past, the youth must develop positive attitude towards skills acquisition so that government can also provide viable environment for them. Community leaders will be willing to support youths who have acquired skills or who have positive attitude to create something on their own than individuals who sit and wait on government alone for white colour jobs”.
“Youth who acquire skills must have the attitude to deliver on time and dedicate their time to do the work by themselves, and in so doing it will improve their skills and increase their work efficiency”.
On his part, the Project Director of PYXERA Global, Mr. Kofi Koomson expressed optimism about the success and objectives of the maiden skills development initiative.
“The rationale for the program is to empower women in dressmaking, create jobs for them on large scale and enhance their skills capacity so that they will be able to employ and train others in the dressmaking field, I am very optimistic about the success of this initiative and I know the objectives will be achieved in the shortest possible time because we have created the enabling environment for the beneficiaries, set the center for them and has also equipped the center with the needed machines to speed up and enhance their delivery. I, therefore, urge the government to support the youths in the area of skills development to help reduce youth unemployment in the country”.
The 25 beneficiaries who could not hide their joy expressed their appreciation to PYXERA Global and Newmont Ghana for their overwhelming support to women in the deprived areas and called on them to expand the next project to cater for a larger number.